The Labor Day weekend heat wave set new high-temperature records across Southern California on Saturday.
But the record books could be rewritten Sunday, with forecasters predicting another day of historic heat that is likely to be worse than Saturday.
The forecast
Temperatures were expected to climb even higher in some places Sunday, reaching 119 degrees in Woodland Hills, 114 in Pasadena and 110 in Simi Valley, said David Sweet, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
“Some of these temperatures could be the all-time record for the location,” Sweet said.
In its heat warning statement, the NWS said: “These highs … will be about 15-25 [degrees]
above normal across the region. This kind of heat can be life-threatening and
people are urged to use common sense, keep hydrated and stay out of the heat
and in air-conditioned locations as much as possible.”
A slight cooling trend should begin Monday. Even though areas could see temperatures drop by 10 degrees, many locations will remain in the triple digits.
The records
Saturday was one of the hottest days on record in many areas.
In Woodland Hills, the mercury climbed to 117 degrees by 3 p.m. Saturday, making it the hottest day ever recorded there in September, breaking the record of 115 set in 1979. Burbank reached 113, tying its monthly record set in 1971. Van Nuys hit 115.
The mercury soared even higher to the east, with Palm Springs hitting 122 and Indio 121. Officials said at least three areas tied or topped all-time record highs: Alpine (113), El Cajon (114) and Idyllwild (103). The weather service said Burbank appeared to tie an all-time record at 114 degrees.
Other areas that hit daily records:
—Paso Robles (112)
—Palmdale (111)
—Lancaster (110)
—Santa Ana (110)
—Riverside (117)
—Lake Elsinore (115)
Power situation
Thousands lost power across the region as the demand caused by the heat strained the system. Both the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Southern California Edison reported scattered but small power outages.
The California Independent System Operator, which runs the power grid for most of the state, has issued a statewide flex alert — calling for residents to voluntarily cut back their electricity consumption from 3 to 9 p.m. through Monday.
Officials have said they hope to avoid rolling blackouts.
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